the many hats of the electronic resources librarian

THE MANY HATS OF THE E-RESOURCES LIBRARIAN:

PRESENT CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE FUTURES

Jane Strudwick, Electronic Resources LibrarianFlorida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida

Institution Background

Florida Atlantic University, a doctoral degree-granting university

17,300 FTE Part of a 12 institution state university

system As of July 2012, the FAU Libraries is part

of the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC)

Library Background

Three locations ILS – Aleph (Managed for SULs by FLVC) Electronic Resources Services – Serials

Solutions 360 Core 360 Link 360 ERMS Summon

Materials Budget – 3,250,000

Why E-Resources Librarians? New Features of Acquisitions

Licensing Packaging New management and management tools

Changes in Access Different then a catalog (based on

knowledge base) Unmediated searching Teaching other librarians

Why E-Resources Librarians

Changes in Work Flows Different or added processes for selection,

purchase, access, and evaluation Cross – departmental work flows Skill set developed specific to these needs

and, to an extent, the library

“The electronic resources librarian understands the life cycle of electronic resources in its ongoing complexity of multiple stages and processes.”(NASIG, 2012)

The Hats & the Competencies

Wonder Woman 03photo by bbaltimore on Flickr

The Hats & the Competencies Manage the Life Cycle of Electronic

Resources Acquire and maintain subscriptions Establish and manage procedures to ensure

access to electronic resources and provide support

Manage evaluation processes for cancellation and retention decisions

The Hats & the Competencies Acquire and maintain subscriptions

Understanding collection development and knowledge of librarianship

Negotiate contracts and maintaining advantageous relationships with vendors

Reviewing and negotiating licenses

The Hats & the Competencies Provide Access to Electronic Resources

Knowledge of computing hardware used to access electronic information

Authentication systems E-resources software and services The admin functions of proprietary databases Fundamentals of Web design and markup

languages Ability to provide technical and reference

support

The Hats & the Competencies Manage evaluation process

Understand complex range of data generated by and related to electronic resources

Ability to collect, analyze, manipulate and provide meaningful interpretation of data and apply to real and timely decision making

Evaluate or manage the creation of databases to store relational data

The Hats & the CompetenciesOther Skills Effective Communication

Prompt, consistent, verbal and written communications with a broad audience

Supervising and Management Supervise, train and motivate

Trends and Professional Development Including publishing and library

marketplace Personal Qualities

Flexibility with change

The Challenges…all of the above

The Challenges

Silos Managing acquisitions

ILS v. ERMS v. homegrown Access to Electronic Resources

Multiple Access points and interfaces Data Collection and Analysis

Tools not yet adequate for analyzing and reporting

Communication conduits Data collection and management

The Challenges

Marketplace v. Budgets Journal cost inflation v. everything full text,

and now Flux in publishing industry Consolidation of companies Rights of Licensee: archival, access, sharing

The Challenges

Transitioning to Web Scale Changes in search and discovery

Discovery service & catalog Advocacy of metadata contribution by

publishers and vendors to all discovery services

Collection development impacts, especially prioritization of formats

Waiting for the full realization of web scale management services

The Possible Futures

The Possible Futures

Reorganization of workflows and departments Complete transition to one access point Web scale management and the end of the

ILS No more local cataloging The print hangover is over

Multiple e-resources librarians

The Possible Futures

Changes in publishing The breakup of journals and the end of the

big database purchase Demand driven articles and book acquisitions Indexes native to discovery services No more need to develop federated

interfaces per product, especially aggregators

The e-resources librarian managing a single interface

The Possible Futures

Resource funding transitioning to Academic Departments Open access initiatives gaining momentum

– cost shifting to authors Data curation Compete for e-resource funding with other

departments?

E-resources librarians part of Division of Research

The Possible Futures

Library budgets – permanently reduced Increased collaboration, purchasing at state

level Decreased staff, new skill set Virtual Campuses

The e-resources librarian employed by state system

And in Conclusion

Jane StrudwickElectronic Resources LibrarianFlorida Atlantic Universityjstrudw1@fau.eduPresentation Link

Contact Information